The present invention relates to the field of devices, methods and kits for use in training medical personnel by providing such persons with the opportunity to practice surgical techniques outside the operating room. The invention involves devices, methods and kits for practicing surgical and/or clinical techniques, including sensitive surgical knot tying techniques using devices that indicate when excessive pressure is exerted during the tying of a surgical knot, and incising, suturing and tying techniques using devices that simulate physical properties of skin, blood vessels or other tissue.
Medical, dental and veterinary students as well as more experienced doctors, dentists and veterinarians learning new surgical techniques must undergo extensive training before they are optimally qualified to perform surgery. With respect to a student, the training must teach the student proper techniques for cutting through various types of tissue, for suturing severed tissue and for tying sutures against tension or around delicate tissues. In particular, the student must gain experience in suturing a broad variety of tissue types, including muscles, blood vessels, nerves and the like.
In general, a student""s specific training for a surgical procedure is limited to medical textbooks, research, observation of others and practice. With regard to the issue of practice, it would be advantageous for students and medical personnel to acquire as much hands-on experience as possible operating on actual or simulated body structures when learning surgical procedures. Such practice can shorten the learning curve in the operating room. For example, a student may perform procedures on human cadavers or on animals; however, both cadavers and animals for surgical training are relatively expensive. Additionally, many humane societies vehemently oppose the performance of unnecessary surgery on animals. While some synthetic training aids have been proposed, the amount of practical experience a student can obtain prior to performing an actual surgery continues to be relatively limited.
As a result of the inherently limited amount of practical experience a student can obtain prior to performing a procedure on a patient, a student may have insufficient training to perform certain surgical fictions in an optimal manner in an operating room setting. It is therefore crucial that a student obtain as much practice as possible before performing surgery for the first time on a patient. It is also crucial that physicians be able to maintain their skills or acquire new skills outside the surgery room. While a physician may have been fully qualified to perform a certain procedure, the lapse of time or the evolution of new technology may render the physician ill-trained for the procedure. Moreover, even if the physician has been trained for a new procedure, the period of training is very short and often does not fully prepare a physician for the procedure. Thus, there is also a need for physicians to be able to acquire practice outside the operating room.
In view of the above, there is a continuing need for development of training aids for practicing surgical techniques such as suture tying. The present invention addresses these needs and has additional benefits and advantages.
The present invention provides devices and kits, as well as methods associated therewith, for teaching medical students and trainees in surgical specialties various surgical principles, and for providing students, trainees and physicians the opportunity to practice one or more surgical techniques. The embodiments of inventive devices and kits exhibit a variety of excellent features.
The invention may be used to simulate a medical procedure and/or practice a movement that may be encountered in the performance of a medical procedure. The invention pertains to devices, methods and kits that may be used to practice techniques outside the operating room. The invention also makes it possible to teach and/or practice various techniques without requiring the user to actually perform the suturing on a human patient in order to obtain the necessary experience to become competent at performing the various techniques. Techniques that may be practiced in accordance with the invention include, for example, sensitive suture tying; tying sutures against tension; separation and suturing of blood vessels; over-sewing, repairing or reconnecting blood vessels; and making incisions and sutures in skin and subcutaneous tissue.
One form of the present invention is a unique surgical technique practice device. Other forms include a unique method of practicing surgical knot tying and a unique kit for surgical knot formation practice.
Another form of the present invention is a device including a member that registers when excessive force is used to form a surgical knot.
According to yet another form of the invention, there is provided a device for practicing suture tying techniques that includes (1) a base; (2) an elongate member at rest upon said base, said elongate member having a first end and a second end, wherein said elongate member is in contact with said base, and wherein said elongate member is movably engaged to said base, and (3) a first hook attached to said elongate member. Said member is operable to move from a first position to a second position relative to said platform in response to exertion of a predetermined force on said hook by tying a surgical knot thereto, and also operable to be reconfigured in said first position. It is, of course, understood that, when such a device is a part of a kit as described more fully below, the base may be a panel of the kit container.
A further form of the invention includes a device for practicing suture tying that includes (1) a base; (2) a member at rest upon said base, wherein said member is in contact with said base; (3) a first hook attached to said member; and (4) a signaling mechanism that activates when at least a portion of said member moves away from said base. Exertion of a threshold force upon said first hook causes said member to move such that at least a portion of said member moves away from said base.
Still a further form of the invention includes a method for practicing suture tying techniques that includes (1) providing a practice device comprising a base; a movable member at rest upon said base, wherein said member is in contact with said base; and a first hook attached to said member such that exertion of an actual force in excess of a threshold force upon the first hook causes at least a portion of said member to move away from said base; (2) forming a surgical knot that engages the hook; and (3) monitoring the device to determine whether at least a portion of said member moves away from said base, thereby indicating that the actual force exceeds the threshold force.
In another form, there is provided a kit for practicing techniques common to a variety of surgical procedures. A kit may include (1) a container comprising a plurality of substantially planar panels, the panels being serially hinged together such that the panels can be positioned in a closed position in which the panels form a container, and an open position in which the panels are disposed adjacent to and coplanar with one another; and (2) one or more devices for practicing a surgical technique or an action that might be taken during a surgery. One such device may be associated with a first panel for practicing suture-tying techniques. This device includes a member movably engaged to the panel, the member having a first hook attached thereto. Another such device may be associated with a second panel for practicing suture-tying techniques against tension. This device includes first, second, third and fourth retaining structures, a first elastic member spanning the first and second retaining structures, and a second elastic member spanning the third and fourth retaining structures. The kit may also include a skin simulator and/or a blood vessel simulator as described in greater detail below. In addition, the kit may advantageously include surgical instruments and supplies, such as, for example, needle holders, forceps, scissors, needles, threads, sutures and/or other filaments.
It is one object of the invention to provide devices, methods and kits for training in surgical techniques.
It is also an object of the invention to provide devices for the practice of sensitive tying of sutures in or around delicate tissues, wherein the devices can be monitored by a user to determine if the pressure exerted on the substrate object exceeds a threshold pressure.
Another object of the invention is to provide kits that may be effectively used to practice one or more surgical techniques and that are readily portable and inexpensive.
Further forms, embodiments, objects, advantages, benefits, aspects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and detailed description herein.